Foreign and European Affairs Minister Vesna Pusic on Friday dismissed claims that Croatia's EU entry referendum, to be held on January 22, should have been postponed, warning that it would have jeopardised Croatia's accession to the EU on 1 July 2013 and budget projections for that year.
"Postponing the referendum for three to six months would make it impossible for Croatia to join the EU on 1 July 2013 because its accession must be confirmed by all 27 EU member countries," Pusic said at a round table discussion on Sunday's EU entry vote, held in the coastal city of Split.
She said that delaying the referendum for two to three weeks would postpone the adoption of a budget for 2012, to include budget projections for 2013.
"In budget projections for 2013 we should state if we are adjusting our budget funds to EU funds and that is why we should hold the referendum as soon as possible because we are in favour of such adjustment," Pusic said, among other things.
